The Decayed Heart Pill

1,348 words

Chapter 103: Subjugation

Han Li was standing with his back to the Black Bear, facing the crowd of fighting men. Although the Black Bear had placed his steps with extreme care, there was no way he could hide them from Han Li’s senses.

Thus, when the Black Bear was only a few paces away and began to pounce with the ferocity of an evil spirit, Han Li’s body stirred slightly. In an uncanny motion, he turned to face the Black Bear, a faint smile on his lips as he watched the man charge.

The Black Bear was startled, but he had already committed to the lunge. There was no retreating now. With a bellow, he stretched out his two large, black-haired hands and grabbed viciously at his opponent. In his heart, he prayed that this young man had little combat experience, that his fierce appearance would intimidate him, allowing him to succeed in one move.

Seeing that this burly, dark-skinned man still refused to accept his fate and dared to attack, Han Li’s expression abruptly hardened. With a shua, he vanished from before the Black Bear’s eyes.

The Black Bear sensed something was wrong. Hastily stopping his momentum, he tried to turn and run, but then felt a chill on the back of his neck. A length of bright, snowy sword tip protruded from his throat. It then disappeared just as quickly. The Black Bear frantically clutched at his gushing throat, trying to speak, but only a few dry rasps escaped his throat before he collapsed to the ground.

Sun Ergou’s face had turned the color of wax. He had clearly seen the young man, like a ghost, turn to stand behind the Black Bear, draw a flexible soft sword from his waist, and pierce through the man’s throat with a single, effortless thrust. Now, the young man was pulling out a piece of white cloth and casually wiping the gleaming blade.

The young man seemed to sense Sun Ergou’s stare. He lifted his head and offered him a light smile.

Sun Ergou immediately averted his gaze as if he had seen a venomous snake. He felt no joy at the death of his rival, the Black Bear. Instead, his heart was filled with a sense of foreboding and the sorrow of a fox mourning the dead hare.

He was now perfectly sober. This young man was no fat sheep to be fleeced; he was the King of Hell come to claim souls. And he and his little ghosts had, in their stupidity, willingly thrown themselves into the hands of this demon king. This was truly a journey to seek their own death!

Sun Ergou’s only remaining hope was that his men could subdue the giant, giving him a fighting chance to negotiate terms and preserve his own life.

But when he got a clear look at the situation with the giant, he stood frozen like a wooden chicken.

The twenty-odd burly men were now lying in pools of blood on the ground, completely still. The giant stood upright with his arms crossed, and when he noticed Sun Ergou’s gaze, he returned a cold stare.

Although he couldn’t see the giant’s face clearly due to the cloak, Sun Ergou could still feel a beast-like, bloodthirsty aura wash over him, turning his wax-colored face pale.

Han Li had been coldly observing Sun Ergou’s changing expressions. He saw that this man had no martial arts skills and was now terrified beyond measure. He lost all interest in personally dealing with this person.

“Qu Hun, kill him,” Han Li said flatly, without turning around.

“No, please! I surrender! I am willing to offer my entire fortune to you, young master! I will be your slave, your beast of burden! I know every big and small piece of news in Jiayuan City. I can be your loyal dog, your…” Sun Ergou, seeing the giant demon step toward him, collapsed to the ground in fear, his mouth babbling pleas for mercy without thought.

“Oh?” Han Li had originally paid no heed to Sun Ergou’s words, but hearing that the man knew everything about Jiayuan City, his heart stirred with interest.

“Hold for now,” Han Li called out to Qu Hun, who was about to twist Sun Ergou’s neck off. He walked a few steps forward until he stood before the man.

“Are you very familiar with Jiayuan City?” Han Li asked with a smile, looking quite amiable.

But Sun Ergou, who had just witnessed Han Li’s ruthless hand, dared not be the slightest bit neglectful. His voice trembling, he said, “Very familiar! Extremely familiar! I, this humble one, have grown up in Jiayuan City. I know every blade of grass and every tree there like the back of my hand!”

He was grasping at this like a lifeline, wanting to exaggerate his words tenfold to make himself seem useful.

Hearing this, Han Li rubbed his nose and tilted his head in thought. Then, he pulled a porcelain bottle from his bosom.

He poured a single, dragon’s eye-sized white pill into his palm and handed it to Sun Ergou.

“Swallow this, or die,” Han Li said with simple finality.

Sun Ergou’s hand trembled as he took the pill. He hesitated, staring at the object in his hand. But when his gaze met the cold stare opposite him, he shuddered a few times, then tipped his head back and swallowed the pill.

“Good. This is how I know I can trust you.” Han Li nodded with satisfaction.

“This pill is called the Decayed Heart Pill. It is my own unique medicine. You must take the antidote once a month, or your internal organs will fester and rot, and you will die. I trust you are a smart man and will not be of two minds.” Han Li’s tone was dark and chilling.

Although Sun Ergou had been mentally prepared, hearing the properties of the pill he had just swallowed still made his face fall, sinking into dejection.

“Relax. Once you have helped me finish my business in Jiayuan City, I will fully neutralize the poison and return your freedom. Given your level of skill, I truly have no use for you anywhere else.” Han Li knew the principle of combining the stick and the carrot to make a man work diligently, so he gave Sun Ergou a hope of escape.

“Truly, young master?” Sun Ergou’s spirits lifted slightly at these words.

“Keep this silver for your expenses. Handle this place. I don’t want anyone knowing what happened here. Do you understand?” Han Li tossed a pouch of loose silver to Sun Ergou, giving the command with a light air.

Sun Ergou caught the bag and gave it a slight heft. It was heavy; there was probably over a hundred taels of loose silver inside.

A look of joy appeared on his face. He suddenly felt that working for such a generous young master might not be such a bad thing after all.

“Rest assured, young master! I will definitely take care of everything here to perfection. I won’t bring any trouble to you, sir!” he said, a flattering smile on his face as he patted his chest.

“Alright. I’m going ahead to find an inn and rest. Come find me tomorrow morning. As a local snake, I’m sure you can easily track me down.” Han Li gave his orders without any pretense of politeness.

“Yes! Yes! Tomorrow morning, I will surely be there on time to await your orders, young master!” Having been brought to this state, Sun Ergou very forthrightly slipped into his role as one of Han Li’s men.

Han Li smiled. He told Qu Hun to carry the large bundle on his back and slowly left the place. After walking a good distance, he looked back. He saw Sun Ergou obediently standing in his original spot, seeing him off with an expression of utmost loyalty.

“Interesting.” Han Li suddenly found this man quite amusing. He seemed to have good judgment. It might just be that he could be put to great use.

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Reading Guide Decoding

From Killer to Kingpin: Han Li Acquires His First Spy

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

This chapter is a perfect primer on the concept of Social Bluffing (炸胡/信息战) in the Mortal Stream. Han Li doesn't use any magic beyond his mundane soft sword. He wins the conflict not through overwhelming force, but through a perfect performance. He lets Sun Ergou watch the Black Bear die, then lets him see his men are dead, and then pretends he’s about to kill him. This sequence is a calculated application of psychological pressure designed to break Sun Ergou's will. The "bluff" is implicit in Han Li's calm demeanor; Sun Ergou cannot fathom the extent of his power, so he assumes the worst. This principle is a core survival tactic for a cultivator operating in the mortal world: maintaining an aura of inscrutable, absolute control is often more effective than actually deploying it. It’s a form of information warfare where the opponent’s imagination becomes their own worst enemy.

Another critical element is the Decayed Heart Pill (腐心丸) mechanism. This is a low-grade, but brutally effective tool of a lone cultivator. It creates a hostage situation without needing guards or barriers. The monthly antidote requirement is a classic leash in xianxia, ensuring the subordinate’s self-interest aligns perfectly with the master’s survival. It’s a dark mirror of a sect’s internal hierarchy; just as a sect master controls the flow of resources (like pills and techniques) to retain disciples, a lone cultivator controls a single pill’s antidote to retain a single servant. It’s a stark reminder that in this world, every relationship, even a master-servant one, is a contract of mutual necessity enforced by a clear power imbalance.

Chapter Overview

Get ready for a masterclass in Mortal Stream efficiency, fellow Daoists! This chapter is one of those deceptively simple, yet profoundly important transitional moments. There’s no earth-shattering breakthrough, no earth-shattering revelation. Instead, we witness Han Li seamlessly shift gears from a wandering martial cultivator to a local power player. He doesn't conquer a city; he conquers an asset. Our protagonist encounters the local bullies, the Wild Wolf Gang, deals with a brute, and then performs a textbook intimidation-and-incentive routine on their leader, Sun Ergou. It’s a short, sharp lesson in resource management and psychological warfare, showing us that in the cultivation world, a smart subordinate can be more valuable than a killed enemy. The chapter perfectly illustrates the cold, transactional nature of power, where a man's life is spared not out of mercy, but because he has a map of the city in his brain.

Key Plot Points

The chapter opens with Han Li and Qu Hun facing the remnants of the Wild Wolf Gang and their affiliated thugs. Han Li has already dealt with the other gangs off-screen.
The brute known as "Black Bear" attempts a sneak attack on Han Li, but his ambush is predicted with contemptuous ease.
Han Li demonstrates his absolute superiority, killing the Black Bear with a single, ghost-like sword thrust to the throat from behind. The violence is swift, clinical, and utterly devoid of drama.
Sun Ergou, the leader of the Wild Wolf Gang, watches in horror and realizes he and his men are lambs being led to the slaughter, not wolves hunting prey.
Sun Ergou pins his last hope on his twenty-odd men subduing Qu Hun, but finds the giant has effortlessly slain them all. The psychological break is complete.
Han Li orders Qu Hun to execute Sun Ergou, but the man begins to frantically babble about his value, revealing his deep knowledge of Jiayuan City.
Han Li, ever the pragmatist, stays Qu Hun’s hand. He sees not a defeated enemy, but a potential resource: a human intelligence database.
Han Li forces Sun Ergou to consume the Decayed Heart Pill, a slow-acting poison requiring monthly antidotes, cementing his control.
Demonstrating classic management technique, Han Li follows the threat with a carrot, promising true freedom upon completion of his Jiayuan City business.
Han Li tasks Sun Ergou with disposing of the evidence and leaves to find an inn, fully confident in his new asset’s desire to comply.

Reading Guide

Pay close attention to the quiet, logistical shift in Han Li’s mindset. There’s no moment of deliberation. The instant Sun Ergou mentions knowing Jiayuan City, Han Li’s calculation changes from “liability to be eliminated” to “asset to be acquired.” Notice how he seamlessly switches from ordering the kill to administering the pill. This isn't mercy; it's a cold efficiency upgrade. Also, note the final touch: the bag of silver. Han Li isn't just a tyrant; he's a savvy manager. The immediate reward (the silver) alongside the poison (the threat) is a masterful stroke of motivation. Han Li is learning that to operate in the mortal world, you need more than a sharp sword; you need sharp accounts. This is the birth of a regional intelligence network, one built on the back of a terrified street thug, and it perfectly encapsulates the pragmatic, unsentimental way our young protagonist intends to navigate his path to immortality.